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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27634675">Strange Companions</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marzipan77/pseuds/Marzipan77'>Marzipan77</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stargate SG-1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Brain Damage, Episode Related, Episode Tag, Episode: s03e16 Urgo, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Inaccuracies, Team as Family</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:14:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,192</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27634675</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marzipan77/pseuds/Marzipan77</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After the team returns at the end of Urgo, Jack and Daniel have a bad reaction to the casual brain surgery. The rest of the team can't seem to leave their teammates alone in the infirmary. This is being posted to help distract one of my best friends who is sick and has tested positive for Covid. Prayers appreciated for all those suffering. Love you.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jack O'Neill &amp; Daniel Jackson - Relationship, Samantha "Sam" Carter &amp; Daniel Jackson &amp; Jack O'Neill &amp; Teal'c</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>98</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>69</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>About the title:The title of the episode Urgo in French is <i>Un étrange compagnon</i>, or A Strange Companion.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jack hesitated in the doorway, rubbing at his crusty eyes. He could be dreaming. Maybe. He swiped at his sweaty forehead. "Lamest dream in a while," he murmured.</p>
<p>Daniel looked up at him from the infirmary bed, his eyes glazed. "No Mary Steenburgen?" </p>
<p>Damn Urgo. "No. It's not like you're an unlikely infirmary guest." Jack plopped down on the bed across from Daniel and threw his elbow over his eyes to avoid the harsh lights. "It's just that you usually have to be dragged here by the hair."</p>
<p>"Do not." Daniel's words were slurred and mumbled.</p>
<p>Jack peeked under his arm. Ah. Thermometer. "Do, too."</p>
<p>A grunt. A hiss. The squeak of the cot. Jack could name those tunes with one note. The grunt was Daniel refusing to talk around the stupid glass tube in his mouth. The hiss was the blood pressure thingy releasing. And the squeak was Daniel inching away from any nurse with a blood-draw needle in her hand.</p>
<p>"102.7. You're in for the night, Doctor Jackson."</p>
<p>Wait for it. Wait for it…</p>
<p>"I could just go back to my quarters…"</p>
<p>And blast-off.</p>
<p>"Not until we have a confirmed diagnosis, sir. Why don't you lie back. I'll set up an IV and get your blood to the lab."</p>
<p>Jack groaned and pulled himself up to sit sideways on the cot. "I'll have what he's having."</p>
<p>"Colonel?" The nurse turned to frown at him.</p>
<p>"Fever. Headache. No, that's an understatement," Jack added. "Someone is pounding nine inch nails into my skull which happens to be on fire." He caught Daniel's gaze. "Am I right?"</p>
<p>Another grunt. Daniel rolled his eyes, toppling sideways and echoing Jack's former position with one arm across his eyes.</p>
<p>"Finish up with him, I'm not going anywhere." Jack jerked his chin at Daniel and swung his feet, his untied bootlaces flicking, and his shoulders hunched against the pain in his head.</p>
<p>"Colonel? Daniel?"</p>
<p>Fraiser's heels clicked like an army of serpent guards bearing down on them. He and Daniel had been dozing on and off between blood draws and tests. Neither of them had been able to sleep.</p>
<p>"Seriously?" Jack spat. "Those nice rubbery wedges the nurses wear. Invest in a pair."</p>
<p>The silence that greeted him flipped his eyes open. Narrow blue ones stared a hole in him from the next bed. Fraiser looked more … perplexed. Or constipated.</p>
<p>"No relief on the pain, then, Colonel?"</p>
<p>"D'ya think? Gah." Jack pressed a fist against his head. "Sorry."</p>
<p>"Daniel? How's your headache? On the usual scale from one to ten."</p>
<p>"Tal."</p>
<p>"Okay," Jack slowly lifted his pounding head. "That wasn't English."</p>
<p>Fraiser had her hand on Daniel's wrist in a heartbeat. "Want to try that again?" Her smile looked forced.</p>
<p>Daniel cleared his throat. "Deef." He frowned. "Deef."</p>
<p>Aaaand, there was the penlight. Daniel grunted, barely able to keep his eyes open while she dug around behind them with her laser. When she was finished, Fraiser did her telepathy thing and two of her minions appeared at her side.</p>
<p>"We need to prep Doctor Jackson for an MRI, immediately." The nurses went into action, one booking for the lab suite while the other flipped the blanket off of Daniel's legs and went for the belt buckle.</p>
<p>Before Jack could crane his neck to get a look, Fraiser had snatched the curtain closed and was in his face.</p>
<p>"Colonel, have you and Daniel been talking? Has he said anything … coherent?"</p>
<p>Jack's heart was pounding. "Last thing he said was about an hour ago." Jack hadn't really been listening. Trying to keep still so his bowling-ball head didn't roll off onto the floor. "Hey," he blinked up at her. "Anyone check on Carter and Teal'c?"</p>
<p>Fraiser nodded. "Sam was sleeping peacefully before we woke her. She's been examined and is fine. Teal'c is Teal'c." Her eyes grinned.</p>
<p>"Only us, then." Awesome.</p>
<p>"We're going to get you both into gowns, Colonel and run some further tests."</p>
<p>Tests. Plural. "MRI, you said. What else?"</p>
<p>Fraiser didn't answer. "At first we assumed this was a simple reaction to whatever procedure Urgo's creator put you through. Daniel's aphasia paints a … different picture."</p>
<p>The nausea came on quick – too quick for Jack to do more than lean over the bed opposite Fraiser. That tiny hand on his shoulder was all that was holding him up. Tiny but strong. </p>
<p>"Let's get a move on," Fraiser snapped over her shoulder.</p>
<p>Jack decided sleep was the only reaction that made any sense to the roiling of his stomach and the pain in his head. Sleep. Colonels did not pass out.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hammond sipped his coffee, staring down through the window at the quiet Stargate. The base lighting was still dimmed, trying to maintain an atmosphere of 'night' within the unchanging concrete walls twenty-eight floors beneath the surface. Night, day, morning, evening, none of it mattered when he had teams out there on other planets. Going home for the night often felt like he was abandoning his post – no more so than in the past week.</p>
<p>The past week had been another first. Hammond thought he'd stopped counting them. First alien on base. First foothold situation. First lost airman. First Goa'uld. First time he called the president. First self-destruct. The firsts in his command seemed endless. And then this week, his lead team had returned with an alien device implanted in their brains. </p>
<p>What a bunch of misfits, Hammond chuckled. Jack O'Neill, twice retired special ops hardass who had been humanized by the greatest adventure man had ever known. Not to mention the other 'individuals' who made up his team. Samantha – Hammond was careful to call her Major Carter outside his memories. He'd known her since she was a child. Brilliant and beautiful and firmly insistent on a place in this man's world. Daniel Jackson was a pain in the ass who had become closer than a son – constantly challenging this old soldier's expectations and reactions. And, finally, Teal'c. An alien warrior and slave who had more compassion in his little finger than most grandfathers yet could ruthlessly destroy a threat without remorse.</p>
<p>They'd done it. Hammond had had his doubts this time, but Jack and his team had convinced the alien to remove the devices. One final trip to the infirmary had confirmed that they were clear, and, after a sigh of relief, Hammond had pried himself from the base to drive home.</p>
<p>Something had told him it wasn't over. His team had been bedded down for the night in on-base quarters, with Fraiser insisting on staying "just in case." Janet Fraiser – another talented officer who was open-minded enough to deal with the unbelievable situations in this command, not to mention who was strong enough to keep career airmen and marines in line. She'd had a fierce look in her eye when she reported SG-1's recovery. She'd known it was all too easy, she had that same sixth sense that had kept Hammond in his uniform sipping on a glass of warm milk instead of the scotch he'd craved once he returned home. Good calls on both of their parts.</p>
<p>Hammond had been shrugging his jacket back on before his phone had rung twice. Fraiser's cold, precise briefing had settled in the pit of his stomach like a lead ball. Doctor Jackson and Jack O'Neill had come into the infirmary with headaches and fevers. The news got worse from there. Swelling. Infection. Possible brain damage. The tests were ongoing, with plenty of warnings about 'early days' from Fraiser, but none of them would be getting any sleep tonight.</p>
<p>The snap of the light switch behind him sounded like a gunshot. It was a good thing Hammond was expecting it. Fleeting glimpses of blond hair and a gold tattoo were reflected in the window in front of him and Hammond steadied his shoulders before turning.</p>
<p>"Take a seat, SG-1."</p>
<p>Carter, her face pale and strained, nodded and settled in Jack's usual seat after a moment's hesitation. Teal'c's bland bow could have seemed disinterested, but Hammond knew better. Hammond stood behind his chair at the head of the table and waited – the brisk tap-tap-tap of the doctor's uniform shoes were headed up the metal stairs.</p>
<p>"Thank you all for making yourselves available. Let's get started."</p>
<p>No sense wasting time on small talk at zero-two-thirty.</p>
<p>Doctor Fraiser must have felt the same. "After multiple tests, I've found that both Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson are suffering from brain trauma. This was not evident on the scans we took when SG-1 returned from Urgo's planet." She folded her hands atop the file folders she hadn't bothered to open and directed her dark eyes towards Hammond. "Swelling in both men's brains is the first concern. It's led to nausea, vomiting, debilitating pain, mood swings, and, in Daniel's case, speech aphasia." Her chin jerked upward as if she was prepared to defend the awful diagnoses. "Daniel is also showing signs of a bleed. Which only increases the cranial pressure."</p>
<p>"How could this happen?" Hammond heard the despair in his voice even though he knew it was a stupid question. SG-1 didn't remember a thing from either trip through the Stargate. </p>
<p>Going by the tension in her shoulders and neck, the doctor took the question as a challenge. "The earlier scans were clean, sir. In fact," she flung out a hand towards Carter and Teal'c, "Sam and Teal'c's scans still are. I can only assume that whatever procedure Urgo's creator used to remove the devices didn't work properly for Colonel O'Neill and Daniel." She shook her head, her mouth a grim line. "The damage was too minor –" she grimaced at the taste of the word, " – to immediately show up. In time, the swelling grew. And the bleed."</p>
<p>"Togar."</p>
<p>Hammond narrowed his eyes at Teal'c, demanding an explanation.</p>
<p>"The name of the entity we encountered on the planet is Togar. It was he who removed the devices from our brains."</p>
<p>Sam leaned forward, one hand shooting out as if to grab her teammate's hand. "You remember? Why didn't you say anything?"</p>
<p>"My question, exactly," Hammond snapped.</p>
<p>Teal'c blinked, the only outward display of remorse or worry. "After we were informed of O'Neill and Daniel Jackson's illnesses, and Doctor Fraiser performed her tests on myself and Major Carter, I sent myself into a deep state of Kel-no-reem. I found my memories there, buried, and, through meditation, drew them out." He turned to Hammond. "I have only just finished."</p>
<p>Fraiser shifted, flipping her folder open and grabbing a pen. "Tell me about the procedure – everything you remember."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Teal'c swiveled his chair to face her. "I am afraid there is not much to tell. Togar showed us a small creature he had implanted with a similar device. He removed it with a thin stream of glowing light and the creature seemed unharmed. This contradicted Urgo's insistence that this Togar would open our skulls and scoop out the contents, killing us. We then agreed to undergo the procedure."</p>
<p>"'A thin glowing light.'" Fraiser repeated. "Like a laser?"</p>
<p>"Perhaps. I can only speak to my observations – there was no discussion of the science behind the methods." He looked towards his teammate. "No questions were asked once we were assured that no harm would come to us."</p>
<p>Hammond pried his teeth apart so he could answer. "Sounds like a hasty decision."</p>
<p>Teal'c's eyebrow rose. "We seemed to have no other choice if we were to continue to serve this command and this planet as SG-1. And the being, Togar, was much different from how Urgo described him. Impatient and unwilling to put up with Urgo's childishness, perhaps, but far from evil. He agreed with our assessment that Urgo had become a sentient life form and should not be destroyed."</p>
<p>"He did?" Carter reared back. "Wow. You're right. That's not how Urgo described him at all. What did he do with the program once it was removed?"</p>
<p>Hammond allowed the discussion to continue – even off topic, they might gain more intel about the alien they were dealing with. Friend or foe was one thing, but even friendlies could do damage out of ignorance or shoddy thinking. Or an inflated sense of superiority like the Tok'ra and the Tollan.</p>
<p>"Togar allowed the device containing Urgo's programming to be inserted into his own brain."</p>
<p>Carter tilted her head, her expression suspicious. "How do you know? I mean," she nodded towards Hammond and Fraiser, "no one could hear or see Urgo but us."</p>
<p>"And yet both General Hammond and Doctor Fraiser realized we were interacting with another being by our words and actions. This behavior was evident in Togar as well." Teal'c lifted his gaze to stare over Carter's head. "I believe the being to be sincere."</p>
<p>And if Teal'c believed it, Hammond said to himself, then he wouldn't second guess the man.</p>
<p>"So, each of you was subjected to the laser treatment?" At Teal'c's nod, Fraiser continued. "Sir, if this Togar used laser scalpel technology to destroy the device as we might target a blood vessel or an internal growth, that would make sense. But he would need perfect control and precision in order to make sure the brain tissue around the device was left intact." She scratched down a few notes. "I didn't detect any alien drugs in any of your systems. How were you sedated for the process?"</p>
<p>"We were not. Togar positioned us beneath his instruments and fired his beams at the tops of our heads."</p>
<p>"Wait –" Carter shot a glance at the doctor before finishing her question. "We were just standing there? Awake? Moving?"</p>
<p>"Indeed."</p>
<p>Janet flung down her pen. "No wonder there's damage. We use lasers for delicate work when more invasive measures would do too much damage to healthy tissue, but the patient is immobilized, and the targeting is absolutely pinpoint. This alien, Togar, might be extremely advanced – maybe he has some automatic targeting system – but if he'd never experimented on a human brain before meeting SG-1, I don't know how he could have been sure of his results."</p>
<p>Hammond grunted. Inflated sense of superiority it was.</p>
<p>"His implanting of the devices didn't cause these kinds of problems," Carter said. "No headaches. No mood swings. Nothing." She frowned.</p>
<p>"No, only hallucinations," Hammond replied.</p>
<p>"True."</p>
<p>"Still, you're right, Sam. And, according to Teal'c, this Togar seemed to think the procedure wouldn't hurt you. And it didn't hurt you," Fraiser pointed, "or Teal'c. At least, you've shown no signs of damage yet."</p>
<p>Carter shook her head. "Why it should have worked perfectly for me and Teal'c and not for the Colonel and Daniel, I can't imagine."</p>
<p>"Major Carter and I were together beneath the beams; O'Neill and Daniel Jackson under another instrument. I remember O'Neill brushing his hand over his head when the procedure stopped. I felt no discomfort – no sensation whatsoever."</p>
<p>"So, something was different." Fraiser narrowed her eyes before looking up at Hammond. "Sir, I was preparing to put the Colonel and Daniel into medically induced comas. We cannot control the pain as the swelling grows and, that way, if a more invasive treatment is necessary, we're ready to go at a moment's notice." She huffed. "But, given this information from Teal'c, we may want to wait and speak to them. To the Colonel, at least."</p>
<p>"Can anything be done for them, Janet?" Carter's blue eyes were wide with concern.</p>
<p>"Yes. There are treatments available. We've started them both on steroids to hopefully reduce the swelling." Frasier's knuckles whitened as she folded her hands together. "Other treatments are much more complicated and we'll hold them in reserve for as long as possible."</p>
<p>Hammond rose, his two officers rising in his wake. Teal'c, his actions as deliberate as always, seemed to get to his feet without expending any effort. "Let's go talk to Colonel O'Neill. Then, I think we'd better dial up this Togar and find out exactly what he did to my people."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He'd figured it out. Head at a precise twenty-two degrees, with ten percent torque, one hand fisted underneath the pillow, the other angled along his body to keep the IV lines clear. Eyes open thirty percent. Flat pillow between the knees. Jack was a pilot at heart – precise measurements made him happy. But using advanced math to find the most comfortable position for his aching head and his churning gut had turned out to be more brain power than he'd used on final exams.</p>
<p>Then again, final exams had been a few … decades ago. Maybe Jack had blocked out the worst of that particular kind of pain. He snorted. Then thought better of it when his headache ratcheted up to eleven. He blinked, keeping his breaths slow and even, in and out, until the pain subsided. Fraiser's evil minions had seemed sincere in their regret that he couldn't have any more pain meds. Jack had always believed one of the requirements for a nursing degree was a wide mean streak. Jamming in those needles wasn't for the faint of heart.</p>
<p>In the dim lights of the infirmary, Jack focused on the unmoving form in the next bed. "Medically induced coma," Fraiser had said. A tube shoved down his throat. Eyes covered in gauze. IVs snaked beneath his scrubs. Those quick hands laid beside him on top of the blanket with not even a twitch.</p>
<p>Jack breathed in and breathed out, even, steady. His eyes just a few degrees lower than half-mast, he assessed his teammate. Daniel was in trouble.</p>
<p>They'd all thought it was so damned funny. An annoying pest who wanted to play games and eat pie. Who was as curious as a puppy and harmless as a child. The worst Urgo had done was to irritate Sam enough for her to drip hot tea on her arm. </p>
<p>Well, making Jack sing hadn't been a picnic for anyone.</p>
<p>Damn it. It wasn’t funny. Nothing about this situation was funny. Jack pressed his eyes closed for a moment before the dizziness forced them open again.</p>
<p>In and out. In and out.</p>
<p>"Colonel?"</p>
<p>The hand on his arm startled Jack from his semi fugue state. "Ungh." Oh, brilliant, he thought.</p>
<p>"Don't move, Jack. Just a couple of questions and we'll let you rest."</p>
<p>Hammond. Hammond called him 'Jack.' Not a good sign.</p>
<p>"Teal'c."</p>
<p>Jack's forehead twitched. Frowning was too hard, so he gave it up. Then a dark face loomed close, the big guy's voice rumbling through him.</p>
<p>"I remember our time on Urgo's planet, O'Neill. Togar removed the devices with light beams. You and Daniel Jackson were subjected to a different instrument from myself and Major Carter."</p>
<p>Togar. A flash of memory stabbed through Jack's head. Urgo, but without the sense of humor. He'd whistled at a door.</p>
<p>"Got it," Jack murmured. </p>
<p>"You remember, sir?"</p>
<p>Carter's voice. Jack squinted. Higher pitched. He managed to put a finger up to his lips. "Shhhhh."</p>
<p>That shut them all up. Jack forced his way past the pain. He cleared his throat. "Little blue thing. Eyes on stalks. Laser."</p>
<p>"Yes. And we agreed to the procedure. Do you remember?"</p>
<p>Jack didn't nod, he just lowered his eyelids and raised them again. "Pinched."</p>
<p>Janet's hand gripped his. "During the laser procedure? You felt something?"</p>
<p>Blinking at the big guy's face, Jack grunted. "You didn't?"</p>
<p>"No, O'Neill. Neither Major Carter nor I felt a thing."</p>
<p>"Danny." It was more a sigh than a word.</p>
<p>"Did Daniel Jackson speak of pain?"</p>
<p>"Nnngg." Oh, that would be a big help, O'Neill.</p>
<p>"General, the Colonel's blood pressure is rising. We can't wait much longer to put him under."</p>
<p>Jack curled his hand around her fingers. "Tearing." He forced his mouth to work, his tongue too big, too dry. "Dan … said felt like … tearing."</p>
<p>"Okay. That's fine, Jack. You rest now."</p>
<p>Something cool rushed through his veins. Ah. Darkness. That felt …</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Gotta spend some time in Danny's world!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Daniel wandered down the dark hallway, hands in his pockets. He'd been thinking about something. Something important. He often went walking in the deserted SGC hallways when he had a particularly tough puzzle to solve or a difficult translation that had to be precisely right. He stopped, raising his head.</p>
<p>His last memory was the infirmary. Jack's pale, sweaty face. The headache had been brutal, unforgiving. A nurse jabbed Jack with a needle and Daniel only had a few seconds to smirk before she came for his blood. Janet had asked him a question and his answer had been … Daniel frowned. The words hadn't come out right. He hadn't been hurting enough to miss her reaction – even as schooled as Janet usually kept her features, her eyes had opened wider. Not good. Before Daniel could freak out, he'd been shoved into a set of scrubs and hauled off for an MRI.</p>
<p>"I went into the tube," Daniel murmured, both hands moving in front of him as if he were playing charades. "But I don't remember coming out." So, he'd passed out sometime during his MRI. And, this? This was, what, a fever dream? A hallucination?</p>
<p>The hallway was black – not just dark, but the walls and ceiling and floor were shiny black, as if made of some reflective tile. He laid one hand flat against the wall next to him. Neither cold nor hot, the tile felt no different from his hand. He brushed his thumb against his fingers and then pressed hard against the surface again. Nope. Nothing. No sensation at all.</p>
<p>He peered down the hallway. Long and narrow, hardly room for two people to pass if they jammed together. It telescoped, narrowed, sped on into the distance longer and longer as he watched. Doors emerged on each side, outlined in startlingly bright green light.</p>
<p>"Huh. This is different."</p>
<p>Daniel pursed his lips, considering. The infirmary, Jack sick on the bed next to him. Maybe that had been the hallucination. He felt his skull. No, he didn't think he'd hit his head.  They weren't on a mission. The last place they'd visited had been … where? </p>
<p>He couldn't remember. Frowning, he searched his memories. Was there a technologically advanced race that could construct something like this? Some kind of funhouse to trap him in? Him. Alone. He spun, looking behind him. Nope, definitely alone.</p>
<p>He reached for his radio. Oops. No jacket. No radio. Just a black t-shirt and BDU pants. He tugged up on the legs of his pants. Socks and boots, that was nice. He hated having cold feet. </p>
<p>"Sooooo," Daniel took stock, counting on his fingers. "No weapon. No radio. No vest. No GDO. No team." He drew the last word out and waited for a response. Nope. Nothing.</p>
<p>He knocked his knuckles on the wall. Hard. Harder. Jaw clenched, he punched it has hard as he could and then examined his pristine skin. "So, not real." It was certainly the strangest dream he'd had in a long time. Usually there was sand. Glowing eyes. Or he'd find himself in a dark storage room with a gun in his hands.</p>
<p>"On the whole," Daniel announced, "this is not half bad."</p>
<p>He shrugged and headed for the first door. Grabbed the doorknob. Rattled it. Locked. </p>
<p>Daniel stared up into the slick black ceiling and addressed his subconscious. "If you're going to offer me doors, you should at least be creative enough to give me something behind them." The doorknob in his hand shifted, turning with an audible click.</p>
<p>He stepped back. "Be careful what you wish for, right?" Hands on his hips, Daniel stared at the door. He'd grown quite a bit as a soldier over the past few years. Trained with Teal'c. Spent far too many hours on the firing range with Jack. Studied military tactics with Sam. He snorted. The first time he'd heard Jack's voice in his head, warning him away from a situation, he'd been creeped out. Now? Now it was kind of comforting.</p>
<p>"What Would Jack Do?" he asked himself with a smile.</p>
<p>
  <i>"Don't ask for trouble, Daniel."</i>
</p>
<p>Daniel chuckled and shoved the door open. "That's no fun, Jack."</p>
<p>Daniel turned in a full circle. Another black hallway. Or maybe the same one. No doorway lay open behind him, just more hallway, extending into the distance. Green-lighted doors on each side.</p>
<p>"Funhouse wasn't that far off," he muttered. He checked the next door – the one on his left this time. Opened it a crack. </p>
<p>"Aaand, I'm back in the hallway. Okay!" Daniel clapped his hands together, the sound echoing back at him from the shiny surfaces. "Let's get this show on the road."</p>
<p>One after the other, Daniel opened each door and found his way back to the middle of the hallway. Six. Seven. Eight times. On the ninth, something different happened.</p>
<p>The ninth door led to a different hallway. Daniel stepped back, eying his, by now, familiar setting before sticking his head back through the open door. "Blue lights. This one has blue lights."</p>
<p>He strode through the door, keeping a grip on the doorknob. It dissolved under his hand. He spun, but the doorway had already disappeared.</p>
<p>"Not a funhouse," Daniel huffed as the new hallway grew before and behind him. "It's a maze. And I'm the rat."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hammond hadn't trusted himself to speak to anyone after the wormhole shut down. He'd met Sam's gaze, nodded to Walter, and headed straight for his office. Inside, he closed the door carefully without making a sound. A general did not throw temper tantrums. At least, in Hammond's book they didn't. He leaned back against the door; eyes closed. If a general's blood pressure was dangerously high, and his teeth were in danger of cracking from clenching his jaw, and the skin was about to split across his knuckles because of supposed 'technically superior' allies refusing to help his best team – yet again – well, he'd keep all that behind the door. Out of sight. At least until he ended up in the infirmary bed between O'Neill and Jackson.</p>
<p>Medically induced coma sounded pretty good right now.</p>
<p>Sam Carter's idea to request medical assistance from the Tok'ra had been a good one. Yes, Fraiser said that both men might recover with typical Earth-type procedures. Many people with traumatic brain injuries recovered completely and lived normal lives afterward. Unfortunately, Hammond could read between his Chief Medical Officer's lines all too well. 'Many' did not equal 'most' and certainly didn't guarantee 'all.'</p>
<p>Hammond did not intend to take any chances.</p>
<p>If Jacob Carter had been available, the irritating conversation with the smugly egotistical Tok'ra would have gone much differently. Hammond moved away from the door, marching towards his desk. Jacob could be a hardass, but he would never refuse to offer what help he could. Especially when it would cost the Tok'ra next to nothing. No, literally nothing! A trip through the wormhole, a few moments with the healing device - damn it! Hammond slammed his fists onto his desk.</p>
<p>He almost thought the knock on his door was an echo.</p>
<p>"Come!"</p>
<p>Teal'c stood in front of his desk, hands clasped behind his back. Hammond almost sprang to his feet, just to place himself at eye-level. He took a deep breath. No. Those kinds of power games were not necessary with Teal'c. Teal'c was concerned, worried about his friends and teammates. The stress affected them all differently. Sam took off down rabbit trails, analyzing the situation to death. Hammond restrained himself from shouting and striking out. Teal'c? Teal'c went quiet. Quiet and deadly.</p>
<p>"The Tok'ra will not come."</p>
<p>Hammond narrowed his eyes, refusing to take his frustrations out on this man. "Not enough resources, they claim."</p>
<p>Teal'c grunted. </p>
<p>"Yes, I feel the same," Hammond blew out an irritated breath.</p>
<p>"I request to contact Togar. If the alien is as advanced and approachable as he appeared, he may have the means to heal our friends."</p>
<p>Hammond had wondered who would be the first to suggest it. He folded his hands on his desk. "I am reluctant to contact that planet, Teal'c. I'm sure you can understand why."</p>
<p>Teal'c's gaze cut to the left. "Our memories were affected. Togar assaulted SG-1. He inserted a device into our brains without concern for our welfare. He then removed them, damaging O'Neill and Daniel Jackson. Further contact may result in further damage."</p>
<p>"I think you've covered all the bases."</p>
<p>"And yet, I make my request."</p>
<p>Hammond nodded. This was not the first time Teal'c had volunteered for a dangerous assignment. Last year, he and Hammond had a stand-off not unlike this one. At the end of that discussion, Teal'c had dropped his uniform jacket and taken his leave of the base to track down his missing team. Hammond had followed him. And, somehow, by God, it had worked. </p>
<p>That was not a precedent Hammond was willing to set. They'd had quite a … chat … once SG-1 had returned. About chain of command. About dramatic resignations and returns. Jack O'Neill had set a terrible example at the start of this program. Hammond could not have his men turn their backs on his orders to strike out on their own and expect to be welcomed back with open arms at the end of a successful mission.</p>
<p>"Tell me, Teal'c. Is this how it's going to go from now on? I refuse your suggestions and you take off on your own? I thought we'd put this kind of behavior to rest." Hammond's rising irritation heated his cheeks.</p>
<p>"I will not. This was made clear to me." Teal'c stated.</p>
<p>Hammond's eyebrows lifted. "Glad to hear it." </p>
<p>"I was the only member of SG-1 to recover my memories of Togar's planet without damage to my brain. I am Jaffa."</p>
<p>No, Hammond would not be setting this kind of precedent, either. "You are not invincible, Teal'c. And we certainly don't expect you to put yourself in danger just because your symbiote might put you back together."</p>
<p>"I offer myself freely."</p>
<p>"Teal'c –"</p>
<p>Raising a broad palm to stop Hammond's dismissal, Teal'c tilted his chin down. "You remind me much of Master Bra'tac, General Hammond. He who taught me how to live a life of freedom within Goa'uld bondage. He who spread wisdom and truth with stealth, yet who would lay down his life for those he loved." Teal'c didn’t quite smile, but there was warmth in his dark eyes. "He, too demanded respect. That respect he earned through strength in battle, yes, and cunning in strategy, but also through listening to those around him. Another attribute you share."</p>
<p>He'd been ready to snap at the Jaffa, remind him of the respect due to Hammond's position, but Teal'c's sincerity stopped him cold.</p>
<p>"There is much we did not consider. Much we must now discuss."</p>
<p>"Concerning Urgo?" His lips thin, Hammond nodded. "I agree. My urgency to get medical treatment for your teammates –" The falsely regretful denials of the Tok'ra Aldwin echoed in Hammond's mind. "It looks like we're going to have to put our faith in this world's medical procedures." He placed his hands on the desk and pushed to his feet. "The only assistance Doctor Fraiser and her team need from me is my prayers." He gestured towards the door. "We'll let her do her job – let's do ours."</p>
<p>As Hammond moved past the motionless Jaffa, Teal'c grazed his elbow with one hand. </p>
<p>"My request will remain open, General Hammond. If there is to be communication with the alien Togar or the entity Urgo, I believe I am the best Jaffa for the activity."</p>
<p>Hammond smirked. Teal'c knew exactly what he was saying. "Best man for the job, eh, Teal'c? You may just be right."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bill Lee slid into the seat next to Sam, his lab coat following him like a costume cape. Teal'c and Major Castleman of SG-3 sat opposite. </p><p>Hammond waited a moment to allow Doctor Lee to put his papers in order. "Just an hour ago, Teal'c and I discussed the consequences of SG-1's mission to P4X-884. I believe there were several oversights and some hurried decisions made here, people." He raised his hands. "I'm not blaming anyone. This command has taught me that flying by the seat of the pants is often a necessity. But, considering that Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson have been gravely wounded, we must take a deeper look." He nodded to Teal'c to begin.</p><p>"My memories of both visits to P4X-884 have been restored through Kel-No-Reem."</p><p>Hammond noted Sam's tightened jaw. If there were a way for her to dig around inside her mind to access those memories, she would find it.</p><p>"We stepped through the Stargate into an empty room. Instantaneously, we were transported to what resembled a medical laboratory. There were many devices there – they were not of Goa'uld origin."</p><p>"So, you didn’t recognize anything?" Lee was making hurried notes. "Nothing at all?"</p><p>"I did not. We were separated, our weapons and gear removed, each of us residing in a glass tube with a domed top. The being Togar stood before a bank of lighted controls, facing us. O'Neill immediately voiced his objections to our state."</p><p>Castleman snorted and then glanced up in apology. "Sorry, General. That sounds like O'Neill."</p><p>"Indeed," Teal'c replied. "Togar responded with meaningless words."</p><p>Sam interrupted. "Um, could you be a little more specific?"</p><p>"He claimed that we were safe. That we would not be harmed." Teal'c raised one eyebrow. "An obvious lie."</p><p>"Go on," Hammond urged.</p><p>"Daniel Jackson began to explain that we were explorers, not intending to threaten or cause fear. He introduced SG-1, continuing to speak of the possibility of sharing information and technology. Togar was unmoved. I then began to attempt to break out of my prison." He tilted his head. "I was unsuccessful, as was O'Neill."</p><p>He met his teammate's eyes across the table. "Major Carter commented on the various devices and their possible uses. Two others entered the room while she spoke."</p><p>"Two others?" Hammond frowned. "This is the first we've heard of SG-1 encountering anyone but this Togar."</p><p>"It makes sense, General," Sam commented. "I suppose Togar could be the only one responsible for capturing anyone who came through the Stargate, but I doubt he could be the only person on the entire planet."</p><p>"He was indeed the only person on the station, Major Carter. As they three spoke together it was revealed that P4X-884 was merely a scientific outpost in orbit around a home planet. Togar was responsible for capturing and implanting any visitors with tagging devices and then adjusting their memories." The dark eyes turned back towards Hammond. "Daniel Jackson asked if SG-1 could simply answer questions about the Tauri culture rather than be so tagged. One of the two men who had arrived declined. We were then given the choice of who would be implanted."</p><p>Sam leaned back in her chair, her forehead creased. "They gave us a choice?"</p><p>Hammond's gut churned. This story was going from bad to worse. "If you were given a choice, why were all of you implanted?"</p><p>"After O'Neill's outburst against the situation, Daniel Jackson merely repeated that SG-1 was a team. United. That SG-1 would not allow one of our own to be targeted. That none of us was considered expendable."</p><p>Hammond felt the depth of Teal'c's gaze, the hidden meaning behind his words. He nodded, accepting Teal'c believed that truth.</p><p>"They decided to implant the devices in all of you? That's –" Doctor Lee shook his head, "well, as a scientist, that's a definite waste of resources. I mean, why didn't they just pick one?"</p><p>"I believe their assumption was that Daniel Jackson's words were literal. That SG-1 could not in fact be separated. That we constituted one whole. We were then immobilized while they proceeded."</p><p>Hammond closed his eyes. He couldn't fault Daniel's words – and Jack would have agreed. Jack might have been forgiven if he'd volunteered himself first – as team leader, the right and responsibility to speak and act for the team was his. But it should never be the first resort. It sounded like he'd never gotten a chance to make that decision.</p><p>"O'Neill, Daniel Jackson, and Major Carter then lost consciousness. I, however, did not."</p><p>Castleman whooshed out a breath. "Nice. So, you saw and heard whatever happened next." His eyes were bright with passion. "The more intel the better if we've got to go back there."</p><p>"Togar expressed disapproval of implanting their tagging devices in all of us. He was concerned for error. Which did in fact occur. But the other beings overruled him. They insisted that 'four points of view would be four times as helpful when the devices were returned.'"</p><p>Sam was nodding along. Yes, Hammond had been waiting for this. </p><p>"In order to access whatever information Togar was looking for, SG-1 would have to return to P4X-884." Sam's lips curled. "Of course. Why would they simple plant the devices and then leave us alone? If we were to be 'tagged,' our thoughts and actions monitored, they'd want some way to get the information back to their instruments."</p><p>Bill Lee began shuffling through his paperwork. "That makes some sense of the readings that weren't analyzed until you four came back the second time. You and Doctor Jackson assumed you'd been hooked up like a computer network which is," he bobbed his head back and forth, "sort of true. You all began acting together because the devices were linked, acting as one. So, we know there was some kind of broadcast signal as well as a receiver in the devices. But there's no way they could broadcast any information streams all the way out to P4X-884. Not from Earth. And not through a Stargate." He shook his head. "The signal wasn't strong enough."</p><p>"They planned all along for us to return." Sam turned away. "And we fell for it. I fell for it. Fell for Urgo's seeming harmlessness. His humanity."</p><p>Hammond let the silence grow. Harmless. They'd all believed it. Fools, all of them. How many times would they have to learn the hard way that beings they met out there, beyond the Stargate, were utterly, irrevocably alien?</p><p>"I do not believe we were taken in by Urgo, Major Carter." Teal'c's rumbling voice was soothing. "He was indeed an error that occurred because four devices were used. Perhaps Doctor Lee could speak to the technology that created Urgo, but, whatever the reason, our reactions could not be anything but what they were." Teal'c leaned forward. "He was inside our minds. He could and did direct our thinking. We could not fight against it."</p><p>"Well, many scientists believe that the creation of a true artificial intelligence is not far away. That linking up computer after computer, network after network, that we have only to reach some heightened level of data and analysis before it will result in personality. Independent thought." Doctor Lee adjusted his glasses. "I can't claim to know what made those devices tick, but if this was the first time four were used in tandem, maybe they reached that level. Maybe Urgo became a life form."</p><p>"When we returned to the outpost, Togar declared that Urgo was indeed an error. He was quick to offer to retrieve the devices. And to house Urgo in his own brain going forward."</p><p>Sam cocked her head, her smile not at all amused. "See, I don't have any trouble believing that. This Togar sounds like a pure scientist. Heck, I'd be fascinated by an AI forming from technology I'd been using. And, with his level of advancement, he could have removed the device from his own brain once he'd learned all he could about how it happened."</p><p>"So, where does that leave us?" Hammond's own thoughts were stormy. "Return and possibly get more of our people in trouble? Could this Togar be reasoned with?" He lifted his hands and lowered them again to the table. "Would some appeal to this Urgo make any difference?"</p><p>"If Urgo even still exists," Sam warned. Her eyes narrowed. "Here's my question, why did the Colonel start to remember what happened on P4X-884 when I still don't?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Green. Blue. Yellow. Red. Back to Green. Daniel stood, hands on his hips, and frowned down the hallway. The very familiar hallway. "Well, crap," he murmured. He was back to the beginning.</p>
<p>Daniel had been treating this like an ancient puzzle. A number substitution. Green – six; the sixth door in the green hallway. Blue – eight; the eighth door in the blue hall. Et cetera. He shoved his hands into his pockets. That meant, if it were a simple number/color lock, he'd need the sixth door again in green. But that door had led straight back here.</p>
<p>Wait. Maybe this wasn't the same green hallway after all.</p>
<p>The unrelenting black surrounding him, the lack of sensation was numbing. It reminded him of cave systems he'd explored as an archaeology student in Togo. Daniel had to remind himself that he could stand up straight, that he wasn't in danger of hitting his head on a rock or tumbling down an unseen slope. His muscles were tense, his chest cramped as if he was breathing in stale air and rock dust.</p>
<p>Daniel swallowed. Funny, he wasn't thirsty. Or hungry. More weary than tired. He lifted his hands in front of him, flexing his fingers. Shook his head. He didn't know how long he'd been stuck here, but if he had any hope of getting out, he'd better figure this out.</p>
<p>"So, not the door number, number of doors away from my starting location." That was the only marker he had. Wasn't it?</p>
<p>There was no variance in the light, no size differences between the doors, no change in distance between doors. Okay, maybe Daniel was relying on his sight too much. What if the answer could be found in another sense? Daniel leaned close to the door on his right. Sniffed. Nope. Nothing. He closed his eyes and held his breath, concentrating. No brush of wind, no sense of heat or cold, no sound registered.</p>
<p>Daniel opened his eyes and grimaced. "I certainly hope it isn't taste." Licking the doors just seemed, yuck.</p>
<p>He rubbed his hands together. "Touch." </p>
<p>Fingers spread, Daniel laid both hands against the door on his right. The one he always appeared next to. At least, he assumed it was the same door. "Now, now," he advised himself, "let's not start questioning that or we won't get anywhere."</p>
<p>No vibration. The black material was smooth, neither hot nor cold. He started at eye level, moving his hands from left to right. "Very western," he muttered to himself. "This isn't a grocery store shelf, Jackson." His instinctual method of exploration might not apply here. He lifted his hands and started again, from the upper right corner of the door, and moving in vertical columns, making sure to cover every square inch. He worked slowly, as if he was brushing away the last few grains of sand from a delicate artifact.</p>
<p>After Daniel had gone over the door twice, he moved on to the frame, this time working from the bottom to the top. "Huh." There. At about knee-high. Two raised bumps about the size of a bronze lepton. A 'widow's mite' from the Bible story. Daniel forced himself to continue, to check the entire frame before moving to the next door.</p>
<p>Three doors down on the left, Daniel found a door frame that was different. One bump. He checked again. Yes, only one bump on this one. He closed his eyes, resetting the map he'd been making in his head. "Thank heavens for Doctor Heintz' spatial awareness drills." One couldn't count on a paper or parchment map, not when light was scarce in most ruins and caves. Sal Heintz had been a stickler for testing his students' mental maps at the oddest moments. Even after a couple of Mudslides, the archaeologist could find his way around any location – ancient or modern. Daniel chuckled. "Who knew that all those nights of playing Dungeons and Dragons would come in so handy."</p>
<p>Daniel checked a few more doors, just to make sure he was following the right clues. Two bumps. Every other door he checked had two bumps.</p>
<p>Back at the third door, Daniel put his hand on the doorknob and made a wish.</p>
<p>He stepped through, nearly stumbling when he saw what was waiting for him.</p>
<p>"Jack?"</p>
<p>Jack grunted and jerked his head up from the floor. Dressed in desert BDUs, Jack was sprawled out in the next hallway. A hallway still filled with green-lit doors. </p>
<p>"Daniel?" he croaked. Cleared his throat. "What are you doing here?"</p>
<p>"No idea," Daniel answered. It was amazing how the appearance of his friend and teammate could lighten his spirit. He leaned down and hauled Jack up by one arm. "How about you?"</p>
<p>Jack rubbed both hands over his face and then up into his hair. "Last thing I remember is … Teal'c. Talking about that Toblorone guy." He frowned. "You were in trouble."</p>
<p>"I was?" Toblorone? Daniel put the word through his Jack O'Neill malaprop translator. "You mean Togar? From Urgo's planet? And why was I in trouble." He folded his arms over his chest. "I don't remember touching anything."</p>
<p>"Not that kind of trouble." Jack grimaced. "The tiny, cold hands, penlight and loud shoes kind of trouble."</p>
<p>"Janet?" Memories of a headache and dizziness washed over Daniel. "I was – we were in the infirmary."</p>
<p>"Yep. Last time I saw you, you had a bunch of tubes where you shouldn't." Jack assessed Daniel up and down. "Medically induced coma. That Togar guy did something to us."</p>
<p>"So, we're really not here!" He knew it. "We're back at the base, unconscious. At least I'm unconscious."</p>
<p>"They were putting me under when I lost the plot," Jack answered. He took a step backwards, his narrow gaze flicking up and down the black hallway. Checked his lack of weapons, radio, pack and made all of the assumptions Daniel had. "No offense, but you're not the star of my usual dreams."</p>
<p>"Thank heavens. I can't hold a candle to Mary Steenburgen."</p>
<p>Jack huffed a laugh. "You do lack some of her better qualities. On the plus side, you're damn good at figuring out these alien puzzle boxes."</p>
<p>Daniel set his mental map, marking their current location. "I think it's a logic puzzle."</p>
<p>"Yeah? And? Therefore?" Jack waggled a finger towards the never-ending hallways. "Are we gonna find Carter behind one of these doors? Because, no offense, but that sounds like more her thing."</p>
<p>Daniel adjusted his glasses. "While I'll admit that Sam has a very analytical and logical brain, we're talking about an alien intelligence here. I'm not sure pure earth-logic is going to be particularly helpful."</p>
<p>"Well, that's just great, Daniel, because I'm pretty sure that we're both from Earth, too." His jaw clenched, Jack surveyed the area. "What do we have, what do we need?"</p>
<p>"We need a way out, or a way forward. I think I've made a start in figuring this thing out. As for what we have," Daniel shot a cheeky grin at his friend, "we've got each other."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Togar, this is Teal'c from SG-1. Please respond."</p>
<p>Hammond waited a step behind Teal'c's right shoulder, staring at the screen. Teal'c had never taken lead on a mission like this – not when it didn't require the kind of force the Jaffa could bring to a battle. Doctor Jackson was the diplomat – the linguist. Sharp and observant, his empathy – checked by O'Neill's naturally suspicious mind – had resulted in the SGC's success with many alien cultures out there. Hammond should be nervous, doubting his orders, wondering if the terse, overly honest Jaffa would make this situation worse rather than lead to the answers they needed. </p>
<p>He met Fraiser's bright gaze. She flashed a quick smile. Her confidence bolstered Hammond's.</p>
<p>Teal'c's stance was relaxed, his dark eyes shrewd. No, this man would not disappoint him.</p>
<p>"Togar. Urgo. My teammates have been hurt by your actions. If you believe ignoring my communication will deter me from arriving at your outpost, in force, you are mistaken. Respond now."</p>
<p>There was no anger in Teal'c's deep voice. No frustration or impatience. This was a man who was sure of his footing, absolutely convinced that he would find the truth. One way or another.</p>
<p>"You have injured my teammates. And yet you claimed to do no harm. Will you have us treat you as an enemy?" Teal'c tilted his head, his tone still level. "That would assist neither of us."</p>
<p>"This is Togar. What you say is impossible. Explain."</p>
<p>Teal'c glanced down at Major Carter in the Gate Room. "I am sending one of our devices to your outpost. It will enable video communication between us."</p>
<p>Sam stood and flicked the remote, sending the MALP up the ramp and into the wormhole while Togar responded.</p>
<p>"Your devices are primitive. Since you seem to have regained your memories, you may step through yourself."</p>
<p>"I will not," Teal'c answered, clasping his hands behind his back. "Not until you have proven that you will do no more harm to the people of this planet."</p>
<p>Walter kept his voice to a murmur. "Receiving MALP signal in 3, 2, 1. Sir. Teal'c." He nodded to the monitor.</p>
<p>Teal'c positioned himself in front of the camera affixed to the monitor. Which showed the same false sandy beach that they'd seen many times before. "There is no need for this deception. Show yourself."</p>
<p>Sam had hurried up the steps and planted herself next to Hammond, frowning at the screen. She stepped forward, as if to speak, but Hammond laid a hand on her arm and nodded in Teal'c's direction. Sam backed up, her face the bland mask of the soldier obeying an order she didn't agree with. Fraiser leaned close to whisper in the major's ear.</p>
<p>The image in the monitor faded to static. Hammond shifted uneasily, waiting for it to resolve into a true picture. Seconds passed and his anger rolled along his nerves, urging him to action.</p>
<p>Teal'c stood silent and resolute.</p>
<p>Finally, the static cleared, and Hammond looked straight into the lab Teal'c had described. The far wall was dark, shrouded – too far away from the camera to reach, perhaps. Technical panels sat around six clear tubes, large enough to house a human being, rounded at the top. Coming into frame from the left, a large, balding man in dull robes faced the camera.</p>
<p>"I am Togar."</p>
<p>"I am aware," Teal'c answered with a slight bow.</p>
<p>"Explain," the alien snapped.</p>
<p>Teal'c tilted his head. "Were you not aware that my physiology is different from my teammates? This has allowed me to access the memories you attempted to erase."</p>
<p>"Not erase. Never erase," Togar corrected him. "That would cause damage. I simply tangled the neural pathways that would lead you to them."</p>
<p>"'Simply,'" Fraiser murmured.</p>
<p>"Be that as it may, I have recovered my memories. That is not the issue."</p>
<p>Togar grunted. "You claim injury. I see your teammate, Samantha, behind you. Does she also remember this world?"</p>
<p>Before Sam could speak, Teal'c replied. "If you assist us in helping our teammates, we may reveal this information."</p>
<p>Togar grimaced. "Where are these others?"</p>
<p>Teal'c's eyes narrowed. "They are deathly ill. Your retrieval of the device you implanted in their brains caused great damage."</p>
<p>"No. Not possible." Togar straightened and shook his head. "This is deception."</p>
<p>Teal'c turned to the side and bent his neck towards Fraiser.</p>
<p>"My name is Doctor Janet Fraiser. If you still have access to Urgo, he could tell you who I am."</p>
<p>"I know you." </p>
<p>Interesting, Hammond thought. Togar had neither confirmed nor denied that the being Urgo was still housed within his brain.</p>
<p>"Then you know that I'm in charge of the wellbeing of those in this command. Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson have brain damage. Swelling. Bleeding." She held her folders to her chest. "Those are not easily treated injuries on our world."</p>
<p>"Your laser devices were not as foolproof as you claimed," Teal'c added.</p>
<p>Togar's arrogant demeanor fell away. "I – I was unaware that the devices were in need of repair. I will check them immediately. Although," he shifted his gaze, "if Samantha was not harmed…"</p>
<p>"Major Carter and I were subjected to one machine while another treated O'Neill and Daniel Jackson."</p>
<p>"Oh. Oh, dear." Togar hurried out of frame to the right.</p>
<p>"Walter."</p>
<p>The MALP camera panned right, catching up to the alien as he hunched over a panel of switches and lights.</p>
<p>"Togar." Teal'c spoke sharply, trying to draw the man's attention.</p>
<p>"No. This isn't. I couldn't have." His hands were a blur as he hit switches, swiped his fingers down a screen, and typed commands. Togar suddenly straightened and pointed a finger to his left. "This is all your fault!"</p>
<p>Hammond blinked. Who was he talking to?</p>
<p>"Your presence in my brain distracted me! Your foolish insistence on games and, and, and not being boring! I should have scanned them for damage! I should have made sure their brains were unaffected! That the proper procedures were followed!"</p>
<p>"Urgo," Sam sighed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all for reading, and for your kudos and comments! My friend is holding her own, thank heavens!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Soooo, this is progress," Jack drawled.</p>
<p>Daniel's hunched shoulders dropped. "Huh." </p>
<p>After the first time Jack had disappeared behind the wrong door, forcing Daniel to go back to the beginning to find him, Jack had left Daniel to do the groping. To feel up the doorways for clues. </p>
<p>"Calluses," Jack had claimed, holding his hands up. "Working man's hands, Daniel."</p>
<p>"Right, because digging in the dirt is so hands-off," Daniel had muttered in reply.</p>
<p>"What I meant was," Jack had offered a few hallways later, "you're the attention-to-detail guy. I’m the big picture guy."</p>
<p>Stretching his back, Daniel had looked at his friend. Considered. Huffed a laugh, shaking his head. No sense getting his feathers ruffled – Jack was right. Daniel loved details. Jack – not so much. That glazed-eyed look at Sam's briefings – and often Daniel's – was a familiar one.</p>
<p>Three more correct doors had led them here. Where their so-called progress had given them something new. A room. Black walls, black floor, black ceiling. Empty. And the door they'd just walked through had disappeared. </p>
<p>Still.</p>
<p>"I guess that we've found our next puzzle."</p>
<p>"Fine." Jack clapped his hands together and shouted. "Bring it on!"</p>
<p>Jack stumbled to the left and Daniel grabbed his arm to steady him. From the floor where Jack had been standing, a plinth began to rise. Square, solid black – of course – it rose until it stood about waist high. At the same time, a series of shapes emerged from the walls. The colors matched the colored lights in the hallways they'd walked through. Green. Blue. Yellow. Red. Orange. Violet.</p>
<p>Daniel frowned down at the plinth. Six blocks, about three by three inches, in the same colors as the shapes on the wall.</p>
<p>"Another test, then." Daniel hoped whoever was putting them through their paces had a grasp of a typical human's patience. And intelligence. He glanced up at his scowling teammate. Or a typical SG-1 member's. Jack had been abnormally patient so far. It couldn't last…</p>
<p>"Oh, for crying out loud," Jack sighed next to him. "You know what this is, Daniel?"</p>
<p>Hands on his hips, Daniel stared at the blocks. Up to the shapes. Back again. "Well, it seems fairly straightforward." He pointed. "The shapes on the wall have a different number of sides. Three, Four, Five, et cetera. I'm going to assume that we should put these blocks in order based on the number of sides and, based on the layout of the dots on the door frames, how they're located at the lower right, we should probably start there …" He grabbed the yellow block – corresponding with the three-sided figure visible over Jack's shoulder. It slotted neatly into the first square receptacle at the lower right of the plinth. A chime sounded.</p>
<p>That was new. Daniel hoped it meant success. </p>
<p>"Yeah, yeah, I get all that. But," Jack waggled his eyebrows. "Big picture guy, remember? This, all this," he waved his arms around. "Remember that thing Teal'c wanted to go to? That Egyptian themed place next to the steak place? It was closed every time we passed it, but he called and reserved a time for us?"</p>
<p>The violet block in his hand, Daniel lifted his gaze. He felt like his eyebrows were going to lift off his head. "The Escape Room?"</p>
<p>"Yep."</p>
<p>"Well, crap," Daniel muttered. Jack was right. That's exactly what this place reminded him of. He shoved the violet block into the next opening. The cute little chime didn't sound quite so cute any more.</p>
<p>"Hey! I don't remember signing up for this!" Jack shouted, pacing the edge of the room. "As I recall, there's a form or a contract or something. I do not," he snapped, "give my permission for you to lock me in here to – whatever this game is!"</p>
<p>"But isn't this happening in our heads?" The lack of sensation, his unmarked fists after Daniel had punched the wall. He gripped the blue block, intentionally pushing his flesh into the sharp edges. Nothing. "Are we even here?"</p>
<p>Jack spun to face him. "I'm me. You're you. We remember the infirmary. The pain. Dizziness. Even though this is happening in our heads doesn't mean it isn't real." He frowned, mentally reviewing his statement. Nodded. "Yeah – that."</p>
<p>The answer slammed into Daniel like a freight train. "Of course! It's happening inside our minds but it's real!"</p>
<p>Jack crossed his arms. "Isn't that what I just said?"</p>
<p>It was Daniel's turn to spin and shout towards the ceiling. "Urgo!"</p>
<p>He blinked, waiting. Nothing.</p>
<p>"Oh, hell no. Not that guy again." Jack shut his eyes and leaned his forehead against the nearest wall, hands braced above him. "Urgo, you son of a bitch. I don't want to play."</p>
<p>Not a flicker. Not a whisper of sound greeted Jack's curse.</p>
<p>"Fine," Daniel seethed, shoving the blue block into place. Then red. Green. Orange.</p>
<p>A doorway appeared in the wall opposite him. He met Jack's angry black gaze.</p>
<p>"No choice?" Daniel offered.</p>
<p>"I hate no choice," Jack snapped back. "Let's go."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Happy Thanksgiving! May the blessings of health, hope, and fandom enrich your day!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hammond waited at the base of the ramp, his blood pressure rising with every second of delay. Teal'c, Sam, and SG-3 had stepped through to P4X-884 thirty minutes ago. Considering SG-1's missions to Togar's outpost, Hammond shouldn't be starting to get anxious for at least six more hours. After Teal'c had convinced him to allow the mission, Hammond had sat and stared at the lower left drawer of his desk for a good long time.</p>
<p>Taking up drinking on duty had never seemed so rational.</p>
<p>Togar had promised that this trip would be different. No false memories. No false images. No radio silence. The alien seemed genuinely upset to hear of the Colonel's and Daniel's injuries. His sincere apologies and obvious hand-wringing had convinced Teal'c that changes would be made.</p>
<p>So far, so good. As soon as they'd opened the wormhole for the mission, the MALP image of Togar's lab had appeared instead of the usual sandy beach. Teal'c, standing calm and collected beside Hammond had watched as Togar waved, inviting the team to 'come forth.' </p>
<p>"You understand our requirements, Togar," Teal'c had stated.</p>
<p>"Yes, yes, you may speak with your General constantly, even if it interferes with our work." Togar's gestures became more excited. "Please. Come through."</p>
<p>If Hammond's gut had been churning as he watched SG-3plus disappear into the wormhole, that was something he would never show to the good men and women serving his command. Confidence. Certainty. That's what they needed. Not this headache inducing, heart thumping worry. </p>
<p>The glow of an incoming wormhole illuminated the faces of the SF team.</p>
<p>"Incoming wormhole!" Walter announced. "It's SG-3's code," he added a moment later.</p>
<p>"Open the iris." Hammond straightened.</p>
<p>The metal shield folded back into itself, leaving the empty event horizon hanging like a vertical pool. Hammond uncurled his fists and forced himself to breathe deep. A telltale tap-tap-tap seemed to keep time with his heart as Fraiser hurried in to stand at his side.</p>
<p>"What's the delay," she snapped. </p>
<p>Before Hammond could speak, Walter's relieved voice sounded from the speakers. "Incoming travelers."</p>
<p>Teal'c on the left, Sam Carter on the right, half of SG-1 stepped through, almost dragging another figure between them. Hammond's first look at Togar was the man's broad back. </p>
<p>"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no –"</p>
<p>"Be comforted, Togar," Teal'c stated. "You have reintegrated successfully."</p>
<p>"The Stargate is nearly infallible," Sam added. "The very few problems we've encountered have more to do with our technology interfering with the automatic settings built into the Stargate than any malfunctions."</p>
<p>Castleman's team brought up the rear, pacing slowly down the ramp so they didn't run over the others. The major nodded to Hammond, as if to prove he'd taken care of his charges and was anxious to hand them off to his superior officer. </p>
<p>"Well done, SG-3." Hammond could see the weight lifting off of Castleman's shoulders. He stepped forward. "Togar. Welcome to the SGC and to Earth."</p>
<p>Teal'c handed off his weapon to the waiting SF while Sam nudged the alien in a circle to face forward. </p>
<p>Togar stopped his low-voiced murmuring and peeked through the hands he'd plastered over his face. He glanced wide-eyed at the waiting SFs, the grey concrete walls, and up at the control room before he spotted Hammond and Fraiser. He snapped his hands to his sides and stood straight. "Yes. Of course. I did not doubt the efficacy of the technology. We have made use of it from time to time."</p>
<p>"Of course," Sam replied, making an overly sincere face. </p>
<p>"You cried like a tiny child," Teal'c added dryly. "I believe Urgo has had a great effect on your person, Togar."</p>
<p>Togar glanced to his right. "Yes, you have," he snapped. "Apologies, General," Togar addressed Hammond, "but dealing with an implanted personality has disrupted my usually quite rational and regimented thought processes."</p>
<p> "I understand all too well. We saw some of the same kinds of juvenile behavior in SG-1 when they returned from your planet the first time."</p>
<p>Apparently Fraiser had had enough of the pleasantries. "Major Carter tells me that you think you know what's happened to Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson."</p>
<p>"Yes, Doctor," Togar bowed. "If you would lead me to your injured men, I will attempt to restore them to normal."</p>
<p>"Not so fast." Hammond held up one hand. "I'd like a full report before we proceed." </p>
<p>Janet shot him a fierce glance. "Unless you believe that a few minutes delay will be problematic to their recovery?"</p>
<p>"No, no," Togar shook his head. He laid one hand on the bag he carried over one shoulder. "I will explain."</p>
<p>"Very well," Hammond shifted, gesturing towards the door. "I believe we'll be more comfortable in the Briefing Room." He led the way.</p>
<p>"No, I'll go first. Be quiet. I know you've been here before. Yes, yes, quite impressive." Togar kept up a running dialogue with the invisible Urgo as the group made their way up the stairs. At the table, he turned towards Fraiser. "What is this 'defibrillator' he speaks of?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hammond watched Doctor Fraiser's irritation grow behind her calm façade. </p>
<p>"Sit. Please," he urged.</p>
<p>Teal'c returned to the place on Hammond's right while Togar set his bag on the table and unsnapped the latches.</p>
<p>"The setting on the device used on O'Neill and Daniel Jackson was incorrect. It did not remove the alien devices cleanly."</p>
<p>"We know that Teal'c." Hammond turned to the alien. "Togar?"</p>
<p>Togar took the time to unpack his bag, placing device after device on the table before settling into his chair. "I will tell you of my people," he began, hands folded at his waist. "We did not evolve on the planet below. Our home is distant. Thousands of light-years gone. Some time ago our scientists discovered the Stargate, as you call it. A series of adventurers, not unlike your SG-1," Togar waved a hand, "were tasked with exploration. Many did not return." He lowered his gaze, solemn and still, before sighing and continuing his tale. "Those who did return spoke of dangerous creatures, parasites, that stole the lives of others." Togar cleared his throat and shifted in his chair. "Our government vowed to dismantle the Stargate in fear of those – or other – creatures finding their way to us."</p>
<p>Hammond understood. "There have been many discussions among those in our government about continued use of the Stargate for those very reasons, Togar."</p>
<p>"So your people say." Togar tugged on the high collar of his robe. "I was a scientist assigned to one such adventuring team. Thankfully, we did not encounter any of these difficulties. We found the world you see through your camera device. An empty world of beauty and resources. And, above it in orbit, we found a small moon with an abandoned laboratory. My team, erm," he shifted restlessly, "you must understand, our home world had much turmoil. Political. Moral. Anger and fear prevailed. When our team was ordered home, we elected … not to go."</p>
<p>"Togar and the others remained behind, to live and work on the planet and the moon." Teal'c folded his hands on the table. "The planet supplies their physical needs. The moon's technology provides fuel and protection."</p>
<p>They went AWOL. Abandoned their people. Hammond frowned, remembering Jonas Hanson and SG-9. </p>
<p>"Understand," Togar added, "our planet gave the teams a choice. Return within the time allotted or be forever locked away from the home world." He locked eyes with Hammond. "We chose."</p>
<p>Hammond knew Daniel Jackson would have a diplomatic response. He'd be able to see this situation from all sides and empathize with Togar and his team. Hammond reached for the open-mindedness Daniel had been trying to teach him and settled his features into a bland mask. "What happened next?" he prodded.</p>
<p>"Whatever being set up the lab already had a system in place to snatch any travelers who ventured to the planet up to the moon and imprison them there." Togar shivered. "There were bodies," he whispered, blinking rapidly. "Hundreds of bodies."</p>
<p>"Togar showed us the cells, General. While his people had cleaned them out, they had recordings of their initial findings. Some of the captured beings were Jaffa. A few Goa'uld. Others, from what was left of them, seemed to be human." Sam grimaced. "They appeared to have died of starvation and dehydration after the people who'd built it abandoned the world and the lab."</p>
<p>"Nirrti?" </p>
<p>Sam shook her head. "There's no way to be sure. The technology didn't look like it was Goa'uld in origin, but then we don't know that she didn't use other advanced races' devices to perform her experiments."</p>
<p>"Whoever had done this," Togar said, "had no care for the travelers. They seemed akin to our people – afraid. Caring only for their protection. Eventually, we adapted the facilities. We created devices that could be safely implanted in order to return any travelers to their own worlds with no memories. We did intend to assess them for threats," Togar lifted his chin, defensive, "we did not just hide their memories; we implanted a need for them to return to our planet so that we might remove the devices and find out if their worlds posed a threat to us."</p>
<p>"As we suspected, Togar and his team believed SG-1 to be a new type of life form, one unit of four." Teal'c's half-lidded gaze was dismissive. "He linked the four devices to one another which accounts for SG-1's … strange behavior."</p>
<p>"And for Urgo's, well, life for lack of a better word," Sam explained.</p>
<p>Togar leaned forward. "That also explains your people's state." </p>
<p>"It does?" Hammond prompted. He opened his hands. "How?"</p>
<p>"You see, we only ever implanted one traveler at a time before. The device for implantation and retrieval was well used, well maintained. This time," he frowned at Teal'c, "your teammate confused me with his talk of the four of you being linked, so I implanted all four. And it was necessary to use a second device, one we had not used in many years. One that had not been maintained properly." Togar's gaze shifted to the right.</p>
<p>"That is not the complete truth." Teal'c swiveled on his chair to face the alien. "You will speak of your experiments, Togar. And of my brothers' O'Neill and Daniel Jackson's fate."</p>
<p>Hammond's pulse raced. "Togar?"</p>
<p>Togar bit at his lips, his hands twitching, touching first one and then another of the items he'd set on the table. "This second device was something I had been … exploring. It was the cause of the Urgo error in the first place. You see, I believed that our implanted devices could do more than record thoughts and emotions. They could sample the brain's intelligence. Test for higher thinking, even for the ability to learn. I was not merely interested in finding enemies who might care to harm us, but in finding allies. Others with reason and rational thought."</p>
<p>"And you used this experimental device on the Colonel and Daniel?" </p>
<p>"I did." Togar sighed. He turned towards Fraiser; his expression fallen. "I did not intend to."</p>
<p>"What does this mean for my men?" Hammond snapped.</p>
<p>"Sir," Sam began, "we think the device left something behind. Something much, much smaller that wouldn't show up on our scans."</p>
<p>Teal'c's jaw clenched. "We believe this device is testing O'Neill and Daniel Jackson. That it is intended to train their brains in patterns of thought."</p>
<p>Frowning, Hammond turned back to Sam. "I don't understand."</p>
<p>"It's trying to replicate its error. To build new AI's from their personalities and memories."</p>
<p>"You mean –" Hammond gripped the arms of his chair. "Jack and Daniel – they could be …"</p>
<p>"New Urgos," Teal'c stated.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Another chime. Another puzzle solved. This last one had been frustrating – especially because Jack, who had taken to pacing around whatever room they found themselves in while Daniel figured out the brain teaser, had grown tired of waiting, glanced over Daniel's shoulder, and figured it out in three seconds.</p>
<p>Math. There was a reason that all of Daniel's advanced degrees were in the so-called 'soft sciences.' Math was evil.</p>
<p>That smug look on Jack's face ran a close second.</p>
<p>"Are you tired? I mean, we've been here for hours. Days, maybe." Jack slid his fingers along the open door that had appeared. "Prancing around these boring hallways." He jerked around to face Daniel. "No rest. No snacks."</p>
<p>"No, I noticed that, too. I'm not tired, not hungry, not thirsty. I suppose it's because this is all happening in our minds."  Daniel frowned.</p>
<p>"Yeah, but still …"</p>
<p>Daniel leaned one hip on the plinth where their last puzzle had been. Clearly there was no rush. "I read a study recently that said in just 600 milliseconds, the human brain can think of a word, apply the rules of grammar to it, and send it to the mouth to be spoken."</p>
<p>Jack snorted. "Quicker for you."</p>
<p>"Probably."  Daniel crossed his arms. "My point is, this could all be happening within, I don't know, a few minutes. It might barely be a blip on one of Janet's machines."</p>
<p>Groaning, Jack fell back against the frame of the door. "That means we're stuck here until we figure a way out, right? Gotta run the maze, find the key, press the lever, whatever."</p>
<p>Daniel pressed his lips together and nodded. "Probably."</p>
<p>"Fine," Jack sighed, long and dramatic. "Seriously, though, who decorated this place? And, did I mention boring?"</p>
<p>Daniel smiled. "Now you sound just like him."</p>
<p>"Him? Him whom?"</p>
<p>He followed Jack through the door and into the next room. "Urgo."</p>
<p>"Urgo!"</p>
<p>"That's what I –" Daniel ran into Jack's back and stumbled. </p>
<p>Jack grabbed him by the front of his t-shirt and steadied him, pointing with the other hand. "No, I mean, Urgo! What the hell is going on?"</p>
<p>Daniel's eyes widened. In the center of the next very black, very plain room, a familiar imaginary person was waving at them.</p>
<p>Urgo was nearly dancing with delight. "First, I'm sorry. We're sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. You would not believe how sorry we are. But you're okay. You're both going to be okay! Trust me, we're gonna fix you up so good you don't even know – erk."</p>
<p>Jack plunged forward, wrapping both hands around Urgo's neck. "You'd better get us the hell out of here if you know what's good for you," he snarled.</p>
<p>Daniel latched onto Jack's arm and hauled him backward while Urgo pouted and rubbed at his throat. "Wait – you can touch him?" Daniel pushed at Urgo's shoulder. Urgo pushed back. "You're solid."</p>
<p>"Yes!" Urgo grinned. His face fell a moment later. "Well, no, not really, but I'm just as solid as you are. Here. While we're in here." He pointed to the floor. "And now you know what I mean about boring, entiendo?"</p>
<p>"Si, claro," Daniel murmured in response. "Urgo, is this – was this your existence before? This … maze?"</p>
<p>"Who cares! Get us out of here!" Jack yelled.</p>
<p>Urgo lifted his hands and shrank back. "We will! Togar will! That lovely Sam and Jaffa-Jaffa brought him to your world and he's fixing everything up! I promise!" He grimaced and tilted his head back and forth. "It might, you know, take a minute. A few minutes. Couple of hours at most. But, hey, we're here. We're together! We can play –"</p>
<p>"No, we will not play a game," Jack seethed. </p>
<p>Letting Urgo and Jack banter back and forth, Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. It sounded like SG-1 was working on getting them home. Home and healed. He remembered the pain and dizziness. The way his words wouldn't come out right. While they'd been stuck here, running this maze, that reality had poked at the back of his mind, reminding him that brain injuries like his and Jack's could utterly change his life – even if he recovered.</p>
<p>Hopefully, Togar's medical science had outraced Earth's at the same pace as his other technology. Daniel would hang onto that hope with teeth and nails.</p>
<p>"Urgo," he interrupted, "where exactly are we?"</p>
<p>"This?" Urgo's eyes lit, as eager to stop his argument with Jack as Jack seemed. "This is the training module. Not my training module, of course, but this is yours. I'm sure the puzzles were different – a little bit different." He wrinkled his nose. "Easier, probably. Because," he laughed and preened, "you know, I'm more advanced, we're more advanced, so, it's bound to be easier for you guys."</p>
<p>"But, to answer your question," Urgo fidgeted, moving back and forth in the small room, "it's where they train us. Make sure we're working. That our logic systems are copacetic." He made an okay symbol with his fingers and winked. </p>
<p>"Where they train … who?" Jack interrupted.</p>
<p>"Us. Me. You." Urgo shrugged.</p>
<p>"Where they train their AI." Daniel spoke slowly, reasoning it out. "Their artificial intelligence."</p>
<p>"Well," Urgo placed both hands on his chest as if offended, "artificial is a bit mean, don't you think? I'm here. You're here. Are you ar-ti-fi-cial?"</p>
<p>"That's the thing." Daniel hurried to explain. "We're not really here. Not our bodies. Our bodies are in the infirmary at the SGC."</p>
<p>"So are our brains," Jack added. "So, what the hell are we?"</p>
<p>"That's –" Urgo pointed, scoffing, "a question for the ages." He sighed. "What are any of us?"</p>
<p>"What Jack means –" Daniel grabbed Jack's elbow before he could do any more violence to the very annoying AI. "What we want to know is how did we get here."</p>
<p>"And what exact part of us is wherever we are," Jack snapped.</p>
<p>"See, this is the tricky part." Urgo wagged a finger in front of his face. "Togar thinks the machine he used on you two, not the one they usually used, the good one, that Sammy and Teal'c used, wasn't set right. Now," he lifted his chin, "you may recall that I warned you. I told you he would scoop me out with a big scoop in your brains. 'Member? 'Member that?"</p>
<p>"Yes, we remember that." Jack made a 'get on with it' motion with both hands.</p>
<p>"That's what happened! He plucked out the round thingy with all the," Urgo wiggled his fingers, "spiky bits, but he didn't just get that. He also got some of your brains. Tiny bit." He held up his thumb and forefinger showing a tiny amount. "A skosh."</p>
<p>"Hence the pain and dizziness."</p>
<p>"The brain damage," Daniel corrected him.</p>
<p>"Sorry, sorry, I mentioned how sorry we were, right?"</p>
<p>Jack's sigh promised violence. "Yes, you mentioned. And?"</p>
<p>"Aaaaand, it might have left something behind, too."</p>
<p>"'Might have.'" Jack echoed. </p>
<p>"This!" Urgo waved his arms around. "This training program. Togar had been running a diagnostic on the machine when you returned and it was still running, still is, actually."</p>
<p>"It's running in our brains?"</p>
<p>"Uh-huh," Urgo nodded eagerly. "It's running from the electricity in your brains! I'll tell you, Sammy was so intrigued."</p>
<p>"I'll bet." Jack rubbed a hand across his forehead. </p>
<p>While Jack's eyes were covered, Daniel held a finger in front of his lips and made a shushing gesture towards Urgo. Wait for it, he urged silently.</p>
<p>Jack lifted his head, dark eyes shadowed. "Now, what?"</p>
<p>"Now?" Urgo flicked a worried glance at Daniel as if to ask permission. "Togar fixed the scooper and brought it with us! He's fixing you two up – won't take long, and until then." Urgo opened his eyes comically wide and swept his arms in an arc up over his head. "Now we can play until he finishes!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Many apologies for the delay in posting. It has been a stressful week. Thank you for your patience and your heart-warming comments! One more chapter to go!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jack was distracted – something kept winking at him at the edge of his vision. Not that Urgo's friendly game of charades wasn't riveting, but the guy insisted on acting out animals from alien planets. Animals Jack and Daniel had never heard of. Not that Jack wanted to play in the first place, but it made a welcome change from following this 'training maze's' prompts.</p>
<p>There it was again. A flicker. Wasn't that black wall a shade lighter? He turned to face it, tugging on Daniel's elbow. </p>
<p>"Hang on," Daniel muttered, brushing off Jack's fingers. "I'm guessing it's some kind of deer? Antelope? Deor? Cerf? Ghozlan?"</p>
<p>Jack snorted. Who knew that a certain mild-mannered archaeologist was hyper competitive? Jack got up from the stool that had appeared at a snap of Urgo's fingers and approached the now glowing wall. A spot of light had appeared, high and centered, shining out from behind. It brightened as Jack moved closer, filling the entire wall, floor to ceiling, with light. White. Cool. Familiar. Jack raised one hand -</p>
<p>- and opened his eyes.</p>
<p>"Urgo," he croaked, blinking at the bearded face blinking down at him.</p>
<p>"No, I am Togar," the man stated, peeved.</p>
<p>"Oy. Two of them." Jack closed his eyes and lifted a hand to his face, but it was caught and carefully placed back on the bed. Bed. He patted the cool sheets, felt the IV needle tug against his skin. Bed. Infirmary. His eyes flew back open. A very different and much more appreciated face greeted his.</p>
<p>"O'Neill. Are you well?"</p>
<p>"Hey, T." Jack cleared his throat and automatically opened his mouth for the straw that was maneuvering towards him. Water. Heavenly. He swallowed twice and then tried chasing the cup with fish lips as it was hauled away from him. "Hey –"</p>
<p>"Small sips, Colonel."</p>
<p>His favorite small dictator clutched his prize in her cold, pokey fingers. "How do you feel?"</p>
<p>"Thirsty?"</p>
<p>Her expression might have been stern, but Jack saw that amused twinkle in her eyes. "Besides that. Headache? Dizzy?"</p>
<p>Jack took stock. Huh. He felt strangely … normal. Normalish. His lower back was muttering about lying in bed in one position too long and his left knee was its usual grumpy self. "Nope. Except for the thirst thing, I'm good." He lifted his left hand and made grabby fingers towards the cup.</p>
<p>"Just a few more sips sir, and then we'll assess your recovery from there." Janet relented and let him have the holy cup of cool, wet water.</p>
<p>Jack hugged it to his chest and glared at her, draining the cup dry in two long swallows.</p>
<p>"Back to normal, I see," Janet chuckled.</p>
<p>"I do not understand your surprise. I promised he would be healed. He is healed."</p>
<p>Jack narrowed his eyes at the man on his left. "Togar, right?"</p>
<p>"Yes, yes, Colonel. Urgo explained, did he not? I felt sure inserting his programming into your brain would ease any worry." Togar grimaced. "Although why I thought I could trust him to reveal the pertinent information …"</p>
<p>"No, no," Jack interrupted. "Your boy told us you were healing us. Told us about your little AI training ground, too. You might want to change up the scenery in there. No wonder the guy was bored out of his skull. My skull. Whatever."</p>
<p>"Colonel? You experienced what the AI's did?" Carter loomed closer, her blue eyes glowing with that feral 'I smell science' light she got sometimes. "Can you tell me about it? Describe the types of tests you were subject to?"</p>
<p>Jack cringed back against his pillows. "Maybe. But let's put a pin in that, shall we?" He leaned away from her to stare through the crowd around his bed. "How's Daniel?"</p>
<p>"Still unconscious, O'Neill." Teal'c had positioned himself between his teammates' beds. "Togar has informed us that Daniel Jackson's damage was more extreme and may take longer to heal."</p>
<p>"Of course, it was," Jack murmured. It wouldn't be Tuesday if Daniel hadn't gotten the worst of some alien doohickey. Tuesday? "What day is it?"</p>
<p>"It is Tuesday, O'Neill. One day after you and Daniel Jackson fell ill."</p>
<p>Togar had shuffled around to adjust the equipment that seemed to be hovering above Daniel's head, a green and yellow laser shooting beams into the unconscious man's brain. </p>
<p>"Well, at least I didn't miss the bondspiel." Jack didn't like it. Didn't like seeing Daniel silent and still like that. The guy should be waving his hands around, talking a mile a minute, asking questions, and shutting down idiots with one grey cell tied behind his back. He took in a slow deep breath and let it out. Daniel had always had a big vein of sarcasm running through him, hidden under plaid and long hair, but Jack liked to think he could be thanked for bringing it to the surface. Time to wake up and put Togar in his place, Jack urged silently.</p>
<p>"He will be fine. Perfect. Just as he was. I promise."</p>
<p>"Seemed fine," Jack said. He circled a finger near his temple. "Seemed like Daniel was all there."</p>
<p>"All where, O'Neill?"</p>
<p>"In my fron. Exploring the oh-so-exciting world of Togar's AI Training Camp."</p>
<p>"Your –" Carter met Janet's wide eyes. "Sir? You're speaking Ancient again."</p>
<p>Jack raised a pair of nonplussed eyebrows towards her. "Carter. Ease off. It's a joke."</p>
<p>"Well I wish you'd stop," she shot back at him. "We've been worried enough about the two of you without adding Ancient brain scrambling into the mix."</p>
<p>Jack shrank back, pulling his sheet up to his chin, properly scolded. "Yes, ma'am."</p>
<p>"You and Daniel Jackson were together during your unconsciousness?" It was Teal'c's turn with the eyebrow of disbelief. </p>
<p>"Yeah. Sure. He got there first, apparently. Had already figured some stuff out before I came along." Jack huffed. "Nothing new there."</p>
<p>Togar set his hands on his wide hips. "As I explained, when you insisted that the four of you could not be separated, I linked your devices so that you would experience the same sensations. You should not be surprised that your friends spent the experience together." He twitched another toggle. Clicked a switch. The light show cut off abruptly. "Now, see? Your friend is waking."</p>
<p>Jack – and Carter, Janet, and Teal'c – leaned in to stare at the unconscious guy in the next bed.</p>
<p>After a few long seconds, Jack snapped. "Okay, what the hell now?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"… loud …"</p>
<p>Relief washed through Jack like the backwash of the wormhole. "Playing possum, huh, Jackson?"</p>
<p>Bleary blue eyes opened to slits. "Someone beat it into my head to assess my position before letting my captors know I was awake." He blinked. "Looked like you. Sounded like you."</p>
<p>"It sounds like your aphasia has passed." Tap-tap-tap went the shoes as Janet circled Jack's bed to get to her new victim … patient. "How do you feel?"</p>
<p>Funny how her tone got all sweet and smarmy when she addressed anyone but Jack. </p>
<p>"G--d." Daniel cleared his throat and tried again. "Good. A little –"</p>
<p>"Are you thirsty, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c held out a tall Styrofoam cup with the ubiquitous straw. </p>
<p>Jack looked down at his tiny cup. Over at Daniel's. "Hey, how about a refill?" No one seemed to notice.</p>
<p>"Ah, thanks, Teal'c." Daniel drained the cup and sighed. </p>
<p>Janet plucked the cup from his hand. Jack smirked – could have taken off some skin with those pokey fingers. "Now can you tell me how you feel? Headache? Dizziness?"</p>
<p>"No, I feel – " Daniel scooted back in the bed, finally catching sight of the smiling alien hovering on his right. "Togar. I assume we have you to thank for healing us?"</p>
<p>"Not to mention for damaging us in the first place," Jack noted.</p>
<p>Daniel hummed agreement; arms crossed over his chest. "Your civilization has a lot to learn about how to treat others, Togar."</p>
<p>Ouch. Jack felt a smile tick up the corners of his mouth. Oh, joy. This was going to be fun. Daniel Jackson, righteously angry, fit to be tied, utterly unrepentant god of sarcasm was about to go on a rant. He glanced at Carter, catching a matching grin on her face before she wiped it clean. Teal'c took a step back from Daniel's bed as if trying to stay out of the line of fire. Janet didn't even scold Daniel for pulling on his IV lines.</p>
<p>Popcorn. Jack wanted popcorn. And a beer. Several.</p>
<p>"Jack and I learned a lot from Urgo. Do you know how we did that?"</p>
<p>Togar, eyes wide, shook his head rapidly back and forth.</p>
<p>"We talked to him. And we listened. Funny how easily you can understand others if you speak first and use your technology later – if at all." Blue eyes flashed, taking in Togar, Carter, and then Jack himself. "Or your weapons."</p>
<p>Ouch again. When Daniel let fly, no one was safe.</p>
<p>"'You were only protecting yourselves,' yes, we've heard it before. We've even said it before," Daniel continued. "But it is disingenuous to talk about not wanting to hurt others and only being concerned about protecting yourselves when you clearly disregard any life – any life forms – but your own. If you were only worried about protecting yourselves, you'd shut down your Stargate, absolutely preventing others from dialing into your world. But, no, instead, in the name of 'science' you practically invite visitors with that beach scene and then hurt them – deliberately – to gain knowledge about them and their culture while denying them any knowledge of you and your culture."</p>
<p>Daniel's words hit like tiny, barbed whips. Jack could practically see the blood. </p>
<p>Daniel snorted – it didn't sound amused - it was as sharp and pointed as a single breath could be. "Do you know what would have happened to us if Doctor Frasier and General Hammond didn't have experience with this kind of thing before? Because I do." He dropped his hands to curl in the white sheets beneath him and leaned forward, his blue gaze brighter than Togar's laser beams. "I do because I lived it. It would have meant drugs, wrestling with men twice your size three times a day, and imprisonment in a padded cell. Forever."</p>
<p>"No," Togar whimpered.</p>
<p>Jack felt a bit like whimpering himself. But, as usual, Daniel was right. If Frasier hadn't found the device in their brains, if Hammond had given up on them like they all did on Daniel …</p>
<p>"Yes." Teal'c caught his fist behind his back in a stranglehold, but Jack saw the tight skin across his knuckles. "You would have condemned us all to a half-life. Less." His massive shoulders tensed. "Even if those who command us did find your devices, we would have been forced from our mission. Condemned to imprisonment on this base."</p>
<p>"Do you even know what happened to everyone else you've implanted?" Carter rose from her stool. </p>
<p>"They – they returned," Togar stammered, hands in front of him as if he could ward off their words. "We removed the devices. They were released, unharmed!"</p>
<p>"Like animals." Jack ignored Janet's glare and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Tagged. Controlled. How many didn't come back? How many didn't survive?"</p>
<p>Togar's face fell.</p>
<p>"The Colonel and Daniel weren't your first failures, were they?" Carter lifted her chin, hands on her hips. "Answer the Colonel. How many never returned?"</p>
<p>"You are a scientist. Do you claim to be perfect? To have no unfortunate outcomes to each of your endeavors?" Togar's arrogance returned full force, his own chin rising even higher than Carter's.</p>
<p>"We don't experiment with people's lives." It was the quietness of Daniel's reply that drew the defiance from Togar, leaving him hunched and sweating. "We don't leave the door open and then use our fear of who might come through as an excuse to play god. We've met far too many false gods out there to want any part of that."</p>
<p>Teal'c tilted his head, cutting his eyes away from Togar dismissively. "I was correct when I referred to Urgo as a Goa'uld."</p>
<p>"Yep." Jack's eyes narrowed. "Arrogant. Superior. Believing you have the right to force others to serve you with the tech to back it up. Sounds like you tick all the boxes."</p>
<p>"No, we do not. Not to serve, not like, like …" Togar stuttered to a halt. He blinked rapidly, turning to open wide eyes at Teal'c. "Like slaves."</p>
<p>"Slaves. Animals. Those who visited your world were considered beneath you. If they died – or worse – from your experiments –" Teal'c shrugged. </p>
<p>"Expendable. Insignificant." Hammond uttered each syllable like a gunshot as he entered the room. "Doctor Frasier, I'd like a complete report on SG1's recovery." He nodded at Carter. "Jacob Carter just sent a message that he will arrive in a few hours to complete any healing needed. Until then," he swept a contemptuous look up and down Togar, "we'll … extend the base's hospitality to Togar. Then we'll send you home and lock out your gate address from our systems as we would do any enemy's."</p>
<p>Togar closed his eyes, his lips quivering. A few moments later, he sighed, opening watery eyes. "Urgo is speaking. He is telling me that he told me so, that we are – that I am – a dangerous man, uncaring for others. I cannot argue." He faced Hammond and bowed. "I do not want to be treated as an enemy by those I would choose to regard as friends. But I understand your position."</p>
<p>Jack watched the emotions play across Daniel's features. Anger. Disgust. He knew what was coming. It almost always followed one of Daniel's pointed lectures. Unfortunately. And there it was, right on time. Empathy. Forgiveness. Daniel had forgiven too many people far too many times, including Jack and his own team. He couldn't help himself.</p>
<p>"We would rather be friends, too. But we've gotten off to a terrible start, Togar. And, with your abilities to influence our minds, it is hard to trust that you would respect us enough to be honest with us." Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose. Frasier nudged his elbow, handing him his glasses. Daniel put them on, and Jack watched another level of diplomacy settle across his teammate's features. "Once broken, trust is one of the most difficult things to rebuild."</p>
<p>And the hits just kept on coming. Jack rubbed his sternum.</p>
<p>"Is it possible? This … rebuilding?" Togar pleaded.</p>
<p>It was Jack's turn to answer for his team. "Oh, yeah. It's hard," he warned, lifting one finger, "but it's possible. Takes a lot of work and a lot of understanding." He met Daniel's gaze with a smile. Teal'c lost some of the primal tension in his jaw. Carter sighed and shifted closer. "You up for that, Togar?"</p>
<p>"Oh, yes. Please. Urgo and I are very much up for it."</p>
<p>Hammond, of course, would have the last word. "We'll see."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Hey."</p>
<p>Daniel peered up over the top of his glasses. "Hey, yourself."</p>
<p>The two made it a few feet down the hallway before Jack spoke again. "Clean bills of health and we're still stuck here."</p>
<p>Hands in his pockets, head hanging low, Daniel made a face. "Yup. Not that I can really blame Janet. Or General Hammond." He shrugged. "Considering."</p>
<p>"You mean considering how we've had alien tech in our heads, our memories messed with, brain damage, alien healing stuff, another round of Urgo, some fun AI games, not to mention Jacob and his glowy healing thingy? Yeah, me neither." Jack hummed a tune. He'd like to blame someone, but Daniel didn't fit that bill. Some unlucky Marine might have it coming in the gym later, though.</p>
<p>Daniel stopped in his tracks nearly shoving Jack into the wall when his arm shot out. "What – are you humming? Why are you humming that?"</p>
<p>"Geez, I didn't know you had something against humming…"</p>
<p>"Row, Row, Row your Boat, Jack. You're humming Row, Row, Row your Boat." Daniel's smile was all teeth and no humor.</p>
<p>"No – no, no." Jack tried to squirm out from beneath Daniel's death grip on his shirt. "Just thinking of our invisible friend. Really! I'm fine, you're fine, we're all fine!"</p>
<p>Daniel leaned closer. "Shouting it doesn't make it true." He hauled Jack back the way they'd come towards the elevators. "You're getting another brain scan."</p>
<p>They all breathed a sigh of relief when Frasier came back with the results. All four of them. Was there some kind of sensor on the infirmary doors or something? Was there an alarm in Carter and Teal'c's rooms? Something that announced, 'teammates in distress!' with a red flashing light and a loud whoop?</p>
<p>"Told you I was fine," Jack muttered, snarling at Daniel's unrepentant expression.</p>
<p>"I'm declaring a moratorium on that song," Carter announced. </p>
<p>No respect for the chain of command. Jack shook his head. "Hey, I have no control over what tune my subconscious comes up with. And I don't expect to get hauled down here every time I slip up."</p>
<p>"Get used to it, O'Neill." </p>
<p>"Indeed," Daniel smirked.</p>
<p>Buttoning his jacket, Jack hopped off the cot and headed towards the door. "Okay, I know why Daniel and I are here on a Saturday night. And Teal'c. What's your excuse, Carter?"</p>
<p>She paced beside him, Daniel and Teal'c bringing up the rear. Blue eyes blinked, wide and innocent. "Would you believe I have experiment that's running and I –"</p>
<p>"Nope," Jack interrupted.</p>
<p>Behind him, Daniel snickered.</p>
<p>Carter sighed. "It's too soon. Sir."</p>
<p>"That is my conclusion as well."</p>
<p>Jack turned on his heel. "Another mother hen? Sheesh."</p>
<p>"Oh, Teal'c is the most motherly of all mother hens," Daniel replied, flicking an apologetic look at Carter's peeved expression. </p>
<p>Right. Don't refer to the only female member of the team with a sexist idiom, Jack reminded himself. </p>
<p>"I am the eldest of all of you. By far." Teal'c looked away. "If you will constantly get yourselves into trouble then I have no recourse but to treat you as wayward children."</p>
<p>A snort-laugh burst from Carter. Daniel's twinkly eyes revealed that he'd soon be following her down the giggling rabbit hole.</p>
<p>"You've got to admit, we're an odd bunch, sir." </p>
<p>"Oh, yes, I am well aware," Jack answered. He pointed. "Genius. Other genius. Kids, the both of you, and far too eager to touch alien things."</p>
<p>Carter and Daniel elbowed each other as if they were about to descend into a 'you're worse,' 'no, you're worse' sibling argument. </p>
<p>"You," Jack pointed at Teal'c, "a hundred-year-old guy with a snake in his gut who likes to pretend he doesn't understand half of what's going on just so he can catch us off guard."</p>
<p>That got him the eyebrow but good.</p>
<p>"And what of you, O'Neill? A warrior with the heart of a –"</p>
<p>"Grandpa. Jack has the heart of a grumpy old grandpa who has had more than enough of these young whippersnappers but who, deep inside," Daniel had the gall to poke Jack in the chest, "just wants them to go to bed so he can play with their toys."</p>
<p>Jack opened his mouth to deny it. Then snapped it shut. If the shoe fit …</p>
<p>"Who's up for some pie?" He rubbed his hands together.</p>
<p>Carter sobered up in a flash. "Pie, sir?"</p>
<p>"Oh, no. No, no, no! I've always loved pie! Talking about pie should not get me another free ride in Frasier's machines!"</p>
<p>Teal'c grabbed one arm, Daniel the other. Carter brought up the rear.</p>
<p>Thankfully, they didn't march him to the infirmary, but to the commissary. Where they all ate pie.</p>
<p>Even Carter.</p>
<p>Jack smiled around a mouthful of pumpkin. He loved his team.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Finished! Thank you all for coming along with the team. It was so much fun to write this fandom again - it will always be my OF - original fandom. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers for my friend who is much, much better! (Comtraya!) Here's to a better 2021!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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